LOTL Chapter 11: Mana vs Raph part 2: God's Fury

We now return to the duel between our two competitors. First up is Mana, a recently revived girl from Egypt of 3000 BC who was previously in existence as the Dark Magician Girl. Facing her in this duel is Raphael, the only known duelist to defeat Atem in a fair duel aside from Yugi Mouto himself.

The current count is both players at 4000 life points. Mana has 4 cards in her hand, the Dark Magician Girl and the Dark Magician on the field in attack mode with 2 set spell or trap cards.

Raphael is sporting 3 cards in his hand, Back-up Guardian in defense mode equipped with Rod of Silence-Kayest, and one facedown card. The turn is now Raphael's as he announces his next play.

"Well I gotta hand it to ya," Raphael says sounding quietly amused, "You actually managed to get 2 turns without embarrassing yourself."

This comment was not received well by the spellcaster-turned-human, "And I suppose you'd be the expert on that!"

"I might have some observations on the subject," Raphael smirked at the red color the girl's face was becoming. "Besides, this next card is one I've wanted to use for a long time." This news had our spectators, ie. Yoko and Yugi, at the edge of their seats to see Raphael's next card. "This next move is a field spell card that comes straight from my past. I play Guardian Sanctuary!"

Flashback

We quickly flashback to Raphael a few years ago. This is just after the ship carrying Raphael and his family capsized. It was when he woke up that a younger Raphael found himself on a deserted island with nothing but the clothes on his back, and his cards. The time he spent on that island was rough, and over the years he learned to survive and live on his own. Yet, it was peaceful, and he grew his special bond with his deck there. In a way, the place was a safe-haven from the world of man. One where he and his monsters grew closer, and he always knew that it would be a safe haven for him.

Flashback end

"I've never heard of it," Mana said with a pout as Raphael slipped the card into the field-spell card slot.

"Well, Pegasus did make it for me when I returned from the island I was trapped on," Raphel replied as the hologram began to take effect. The duel seemed to be on a sandy beach on some island.

"My guess is it was a publicity stunt to further the game," Yoko said to Yugi quietly, while Yugi merely nodded his head, wondering why Raphael never used this card before.

"Just so you know, my sanctuary has a few abilities," Raphael said to the girl across from him. "One of which is that our graveyards cannot be accessed and no card effects can be activated from the graveyard or because of it." This visibly shook Mana, seeing as her monsters would really be gone if killed and she could not bring back her already destroyed monsters. "Also," Raphael continued, "Any card with Guardian in it's name is returned to the deck instead of heading to the graveyard."

To Yugi, this made alot of sense. Since Raphael hates having his monsters in the graveyard, this is the ideal alternative. "However," the former villain continued, "this great power comes with a price." This was something Mana really wanted to hear and, if possible, use to her advantage. "The downside to my spell is that only two of my monster zones may be in use at the same time. The other slots are the payment for the field." Raphael then smirked at his opponent, "But the thing is, as long as the weapon of a guardian I want to summon is in play, I can summon it regardless of it's other costs."

Naturally, Mana went a paler shade at this news. "And guess what," Raphael smirked, "I play my Gravity Axe-Grarl with my Back-Up Gardna!" An axe then fell into the guardian's remaining hand, increasing his attack strength (1000Atk/3000Def). "Next is one of my favorite Guardians coming to play," Raphael continued, "Say hello to Guardian Grarl!"

Guardian Grarl is a Level 5 Earth Attribute Dinosaur Type effect monster with 2500 ATK and 1000 DEF.

If this is the only card in your hand you may special summon this card to the field

"And as a bonus, I use the ability of my Back-Up Gardna to transfer Gravity Axe to Grarl, to increase his attack pionts." Now Raphael's Grarl had 3000Atk, and his Back-Up had 3000Def.

Mana's eyes were ready to bug out at the situation, 'Maybe I was a little hastey before.'

"Now, before Grarl attacks, I play this, Royal Decree," a trap with a castle wall was flipped up and started glowing. Raphael chuckled at Mana's confused expression, "Need an explanation, well this traps negates any traps aside from itself and is a permanent trap. So if those face-down cards were to save your monsters...,"

Mana got the point as she glared at her opposition. "Go ahead!" she yelled, getting angry with the current state of affairs. "Very well, Grarl! Attack Mana's Dark Magician with Gravity Axe!"

Rapheal's monster charged while Mana looked on in horror. Dark Magician, turning back and flashing Mana a sad smile leapt forward and met the attack halfway. Axe met staff as the Guardian and mage met in a struggle for dominance, which ended too soon as the famous monster disappeared in a shower of pieces. The display did not go unnoticed by either Yoko or Yugi, the later of which had tears in the corner of his eyes.

Yoko, however, was puzzled, ' Why did Dark Magician meet halfway like that? It didn't do that in my duel with Atem, so why now? Was it because of Mana somehow?'

Raphael: 4000

Mana: 3500

Mana, struggling with tears herself, was ready to make this upstart pay. 'Master Mahado, thank you for helping me. I won't let your sacrifice be for nothing.'

Squaring her shoulders, Mana drew her card and looked at it. "Alright," she said, her voice dripping venom, "you wanna play hard-ball, then here I come!" She started glowing in a way that was not normal for a human. "I now activate something you've probably never heard of Raphael, it's called Mages Calling!"

Mana's DMG and Mana herself started glowing while DMG started loosing attack points. "This is an ultra rare card, with only 3 made worldwide. It'd power works as I sacrifice half my life points and drain the attack strength of my current spellcaster on the field by the same amount!"

Raphael: 4000

Mana: 1750

DMG's attack strength also dropped, (Atk:0250/Def:1700) yet it seemed more determined than ever. "This, in turn allows me up to 2 special summons of any spellcasters in my hand in face-up attack position." She then took out Old Vindictive Magician and Aprentice Magician, and summoned them.

(Atk:0450/Def:0600) (Atk:0400/Def:600)

Raphael seemed puzzled by the move but Yugi suddenly was on his feet. 'No! She wouldn't!' Yugi screamed in his mind, though knowing it was the only answer.

Raphael, though, looked on as though he expected it all along. "So, your really gonna summon IT, eh?" he said as if talking about the weather, "I always wanted to take one on but never had my chance, 'till now."

(BEGIN EGYPTIAN GOD SUMMONING THEME!)

Mana, though, just grinned, "Wish granted then, I sacrifice my three monsters to summon this..." The three monsters vanished, leaving the sky over the island setting to darken with clouds blacker than the night. Lightning struck the center of the field as a great blue horned giant plated with stone of the same color rose to an unbelievable height. "I summon, OBELISK THE TORMENTOR!" Mana cried as the Egyptian god of earth had once again been brought to the plain of mortals.

Yugi suck to his knees as Yoko ran and sat beside him as he stared vacantly at the god wondering numbly, 'Why?'

Raphael, by contrast, looked like a kid at Christmas. "Well, let's see what the gods of Egypt can really do. Show me your power Mana!" Raphael called through the din of the winds that had picked up.

Mana smirked pointing at Grarl, "Obelisk, Fist of Fate!" The god obeyed and struck with a punch worthy of its divine class

rank. Raphael was sent backwards a few feet but remained standing.

(end Egyptian god card summoning theme)

Raphael: 3000

Mana: 1750

Yugi couldn't help looking in shock at what Mana had done. 'I know she wanted to win, but Obelisk is too powerful! I have to stop this..' "Mana! You have to.."

"Wait Yugi!" Raphael said towards his friend who shot him a worried glance. "I'm fine, to be honest i was hoping she'd play that card." Raphael uncrossed his arms showing a big smirk on his face, "Ever since the day I saw Obelisk played I knew I had to face it down. And don't mistaken me, I've had what I needed to take it down for a while now." Raphael looked down upon his deck and his voice became softer, "Ever since the Orichalcos incident, I realized my real power was limited by the seal. And when it was gone my monsters' true power came to me."

He looked at Yugi with gratitude in his eyes, "If it weren't for you, Yugi, I'd never be half of what I am today. So I want you to stand back and see just what your help has done for me and my deck."

Yugi, being touched by what his friend had said, didn't protest as Yoko dragged him back to his seat muttering something like, "men".

Mana was rather shocked at this. She had never figured this lone mortal to have such will and passion in his heart. Then again, she thought, she also used to be mortal, and a part of Yugi always was. So really, she shouldn't have been so surprised. Raphael began his turn by drawing his next card, though what we could only guess. "Well," he said holding up his card, "I play the Swords of Revealing Light, which stops even your god for a full 3 turns. Your turn."

Mana, surprisingly just nods as multiple swords of light rain down from the sky, restricting Obelisk's movement and earning a frustrated roar from said behemoth.

Mana then drew her card. "I pass, your move," she says glancing at her current hand.

Yoko was beginning to get antsy, and her pocket was glowing for some reason. Checking it, she saw her god card Slifer glowing softly, though she seemed oblivious as to what that could mean.

Raphael drew his next card and smiled at it. He motioned for Mana to take her turn, since he could still do nothing. Mana drew and said, "I'm curious to see what you have planned, I'll bring Blast magician into defence and end my turn." (Atk1400/Def1700)

Raph, didn't even blink as he drew his next card and held it up high, "I now play Legendary Sword-Ariatos, and equip it to my Back-Up Gardna!"

The sword of Raphael's favorite monster was now in the hands of his current defense. His monsters attack piont failed to rise though. "The power of my field spell is still in effect, which means Grarl is in my deck and I can summon the monster that will begin your god's downfall, I call Guardian Ariatos!"

Mana expected as much as the angelic guardian desended and stood next to Back-Up Gardna proudly. Later guardian hands the sword to the former and Ariatos brandishes it with a few quick swipes. "I'll end my turn there," Raphael finishes with a proud look at his monster.

Mana draws another card, and finds it to be Dark Magic Attack. Sighing, knowing it couldn't help she moves to pass, and the swords of light vanish. Obelisk stretches and roars in relief do to his newly restored freedom ready to attack next turn. Raphael, however, seems oblivious to the divinity. He simply focuses on his deck, seeming to draw not just from his deck, but from deep inside himself. A new rumbling and the clouds Obelisk brought with it seem to disperse. A light shines upon Raphael as he draws and Ariatos looks upon him with pride shining in her eyes.

Raphael speaks much like a certain king once did in ancient times, "Now I will show you power that I would have never earned if not for Yugi and my guardians. Behold, as I awaken the god entrusted to me, from my greatest monster..." he slams the spell card into his disk as bright light surround him and

his guardians. A cyclone of intense power comes from this seeming supreme summon as an ancient god has awakened once more at it's chosen's call.

Outside the manor, a hooded figure feels his god card, Ra, nearly burning his hand from the power it sensed. '...So it begins,' the figure thought as it melted into the shadows it stood in moments before.

Meanwhile, the cyclone of light dies down, and an incredible sight meets there eyes. Instead of seeing Raphael and some new monster, they see two white and gold armored humanoids. One of whom has the blade of Raphael's duel disk jutting from his strangely disk-like armguard. While the other looks like Ariatos, but has an aura of greater power and wisdom. And angel wings twice the span of the other, it was hard to miss that it seemed much more...well...divine. As the others gawked, Mana included, the duelist in armor spoke in a voice that held unheard power,

"Behold, Steel Angel Ariatos!"

End Chapter